first-foot

[ furst-foot ]

/ ˈfɜrstˈfʊt /

Scot.

Save This Word!

noun Also first-footer.

the first person to cross the threshold of a house on New Year's Day.

the first person met after starting out on the day of an important occasion.

verb (used with object)

to enter (a house) first on New Year's Day.

verb (used without object)

to be the first to enter a house on New Year's Day.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of first-foot

First recorded in 1880–85

Words nearby first-foot

First Empire, first estate, first family, First Fleet, first floor, first-foot, first four ships, first fruits, first-generation, first gentleman, firsthand

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use first-foot in a sentence

The "first-foot," on receiving his bread and cheese, is expected to return a short distance with the child, to show his good will.
The Mysteries of All Nations|James Grant
But our business at present is with the first-foot, and we must hold.
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland|Various
It was evident she had set him down in her mind as an unlucky first-foot.
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland|Various
Does the question of first-foot rest upon the colour of the hair or upon the sex of the person?
Folklore as an Historical Science|George Laurence Gomme

The “first-foot” superstition is found in countries as far apart as 324Scotland and Macedonia.
Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan|Clement A. Miles

British Dictionary definitions for first-foot

first-foot

/ mainly Scot /

noun Also: first-footer

the first person to enter a household in the New Year. By Hogmanay tradition a dark-haired man who crosses the threshold at midnight brings good luck

verb

to enter (a house) as first-foot

Derived forms of first-foot

first-footing, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012